Frontier Eye Desk
Staff of the Garissa County Government have raised concerns over hefty monthly deductions from their salaries for the Social Health Authority (SHA) medical cover, despite not being able to access any health services under the scheme.
A staff member who spoke on condition of anonymity revealed that he has been contributing Sh. 5,423 every month to SHA. However, he lamented that neither he nor his dependants have been able to benefit from the cover, forcing them to pay for treatment out of pocket.
“We are being deducted thousands of shillings every month, yet when we or our dependants visit hospitals, we are turned away because there is no active cover. It is frustrating and feels like daylight robbery,” the staff member said.
The employees expressed nostalgia for the former National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) scheme, under which they enjoyed comprehensive medical coverage while contributing less than a third of the current SHA deductions.
“Under NHIF, we had peace of mind knowing that if we fell ill, we could get treatment without paying from our pockets. Now, with SHA, the deductions are three times higher, yet we are left with nothing,” another employee complained.
County government staff across Kenya are generally expected to benefit from SHA after it officially replaced NHIF on October 1, 2024. The new system mandates enrollment for all formal sector employees, including those in devolved units like counties. Contributions are calculated at 2.75% of gross salary, with a minimum deduction of Sh. 300 per month.
SHA provides access to a wide range of health services, including inpatient and outpatient care, maternity services, renal dialysis, oncology treatment, emergency care, and support for chronic illnesses. These services are delivered through three key funding streams: the Primary Healthcare Fund, which covers services at lower-level facilities and is fully government-funded; the Social Health Insurance Fund, which supports higher-level care; and the Emergency, Chronic, and Critical Illness Fund, which caters to urgent and life-threatening conditions.
However, according to a local healthcare proprietor, Garissa County staff have been unable to access these benefits due to non-remittance of statutory SHA contributions by the county government.
“Under SHA guidelines, county governments are required to remit staff contributions by the 9th of every month for coverage to remain active. When payments are delayed or not made at all, staff contributions show as pending, and they cannot access services at any facility,” the healthcare proprietor explained.
This revelation has intensified frustrations among county employees, who say they are being unfairly penalized for issues beyond their control.
“It’s unfair to deduct thousands from our salaries every month when we can’t even access a simple outpatient service. The Ministry of Health needs to explain where our money is going and why there is no active cover in place,” a frustrated worker said.
The staff are now calling on the national Ministry of Health to urgently intervene and ensure their contributions are properly remitted to SHA so that they can begin benefiting from the scheme like other public servants in the country.
“We urge the Ministry of Health to step in and resolve this mess. It’s unacceptable for us to continue paying for a service we cannot access while our families suffer,” another employee appealed.
Efforts to get a comment from Garissa County Government officials on the matter were unsuccessful by the time of going to press.